Recipe Sifter

Flourless chocolate mocha cake made with bittersweet chocolate, ground espresso beans, and a water bath bake. Crowned with vanilla whipped cream, toasted pecans, and a zig-zag chocolate drizzle.

Vegan navy bean soup with balsamic-caramelized onions, miso paste, tomato sauce, and warming spices. Oil-free, long-simmered for deep flavor, serves 8. Worth every minute of the 4-hour cook.

Eggnog mousse with rum, brandy, nutmeg, and whipped cream set with gelatin. A light, airy holiday dessert topped with crushed peppermint candies that tastes like eggnog in cloud form.

Low fat turtle cheesecake sets with gelatin instead of baking, blending nonfat cream cheese and low-fat cottage cheese into a silky filling crowned with caramel, hot fudge, and pecans.

Mango sour cream pie: a silky, tropical custard of pureed ripe mango and tangy sour cream, brightened with lime and set in a crisp baked crust. A make-ahead summer pie where sour cream balances the sweet mango.

Frog Eye Salad with tiny acini di pepe pasta in a cooked pineapple custard, folded with mandarin oranges, marshmallows, and whipped topping. A classic potluck dessert salad.

Fluffy peanut butter pie folds whipped topping into a cream cheese and condensed milk filling, set in a chocolate wafer crust. A no-bake dessert with all the indulgence at half the fat.

Homemade Kahlua: a rich coffee liqueur from a slow-simmered coffee syrup, vanilla and vodka. Cheaper than store-bought, make-ahead, and a great gift for cocktails or pouring over ice cream.

Tomato and bell pepper relish, a classic canning recipe with sweet peppers, onions, and ripe summer tomatoes simmered in spiced cider vinegar. Perfect for burgers, hot dogs, or pairing with sharp cheese.

Club cheesecake with a zwieback crumb crust and cottage cheese filling brightened with lemon zest and folded egg whites. An old-school, lighter cheesecake with a German-style base.

Vit Tiem Mia is a traditional Vietnamese braised duck wrapped in sugar cane, stuffed with peanuts, chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, and lotus seeds, simmered in coconut water until fork-tender.

Love in Disguise: stuffed pig's hearts braised in tomato sauce with mustard and bay leaves. A traditional British offal dish that turns humble cuts tender and rich.

Tuscan peasant soup with sliced Italian sausage, zucchini, celery, basil, and tomato in a rich beef broth. Slow cooker comfort that perfumes the whole house. Served with garlic-buttered French toast.

Raspberry glace pie with a cream cheese layer, fresh whole raspberries, and a glossy cooked raspberry glaze in a baked pie shell. Bright, fruity, and elegant.

Seared cross rib roast braised with tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, and a bouquet garni in red wine and stock. French-inspired pot roast with a built-in vegetable gravy.

Light fruitcake is the pale, buttery holiday classic: candied pineapple, cherries and citron with golden raisins, pecans and walnuts, brightened with lemon and vanilla, then brandy-soaked and aged for weeks.